Global retail giants who have been reluctant to dive into the Indian market are ready to ramp up their presence in the South Asian nation through outlets that sell only locally-sourced food, said the country’s food-processing minister.

As tastes shift toward specialty foods, more “food startups” are entering the market. Nearly $570 million in venture capital has been invested in such firms over the past five years, a financial database shows.

Metro Money: New York’s small-scale food makers are getting the tech-startup treatment—with a do-gooder twist. At a recent foodie pitch-a-thon, presentations were judged not just on financials, but on social impact as well.